NSWMA expands garbage collection services

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has expanded its garbage-collection services to several new communities.

This was disclosed by Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie at the meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives last Friday. He explained that the 100 new trucks added to the NSWMA's fleet recently included some smaller units that enable the agency to traverse certain roads and lanes that were previously inaccessible.

"The country needs to understand that the expansion of garbage collection has been broadened in a significant way. Communities that were never before on the list for collection have been included," he said.

He acknowledged that for the agency to be fully effective, it needs approximately 300 trucks in operation. Since 2016, the Government has spent billions to purchase 165 new garbage trucks, which have been added to the agency's fleet to enhance waste collection and management in communities. McKenzie noted that the new trucks have been effective in reducing the backlog of garbage across the island.

"We saw between April and June 2024 [a] 43 per cent reduction in the backlog. In July to September, we found a reduction of 51 per cent," he outlined.

He noted that the continuous rainfall between October and December had a significant impact on the operations of the NSWMA, as it created conditions that made access to the landfills difficult.

"The access roads to the dumps are in excellent condition. The challenge that we face is the internal roads that the trucks have to traverse on," the Minister explained. He noted that the increased rainfall also made it difficult for collection of garbage within communities.